Combined chair and sofa-bed



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet '1.

R. LEHMANN.

GOMBINBD CHAIR AND SOFA BED.

N0. 473,937. Patented May 3, 1892.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2. R. LEHMANN. COMBINED CHAIR AND SOFA BED.

Patented May 3, 1892" we uonms PETERS cu, mcYo uTwm, wAsumc-mm a c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-S'heet 3. R. LEHMANN.

COMBINED CHAIR AND SOFA BED.

No. 473,937. Patented May 3, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF LEHMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED CHAIR AND SOFA-BED.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,937, dated May 3, 1892. Application filed July 23, 1891. $erial No. 400,520. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLF LEHMANN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, 1n the-county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n a Combined Chair and Sofa- Bed, of which the following is a specification,

reference being had to drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the chair. Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of the bed formed from the chair. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail, being a perspective view of the devices for securing the back of the chair in position.

My invention relates to chairs which are adapted to be converted into beds, so that they may be used either as seats or for sleeping purposes.

The objects of my invention are to provide a chair which may readily be converted into a couch without the use of complicated mechanism and to materially strengthen and simplify in general the construction of chairs of this character. I accomplish these objects as the accompanying hereinafter specified, and as illustrated in the drawings. That which I regard as new will be pointed out in the claims.

I11 the drawings, 1 indicates a chair, which consists of a seat 2 and back 3. Armsd may be provided at the sides, if desired. The chair may be upholstered in any suitable manner, so as to adapt it for parlor use.

The seat 2 of the chair is supported by a base-frame 6, which is square and is of sufficient height to support the seat at a suitable height above the floor. The frame 6 is provided with a bottom 7 and may be mounted upon casters 8, as best shown in Fig. 8.

The body of the seat 2 is upholstered, as shown, the upholstering material being supported in a box-like seat-frame 9, over which the cushion 10 of the seat is stretched. The seat-frame 9 is hinged at its rear upper end to the upper part of the frame 6 and is adapted to be incased therein, the front edge of the seat-frame 9 forming the upper part of the front of the frame 6 and being supported by the lower part of the front of the base-frame. By this construction the body of the seat, with the frame 9, may be swung in the arc ofa circle, for purposes which will be hereinafter set forth.

The back 3 of the chair consists of a cushion 12, stretched upon a frame 13, which is adapted to contain upholstering material.

14 indicates a hinge, by means of which the frame 13 is hinged to the frame 6, a hinge being placed at each side of the frame. The frames 9 and 13 are hinged or pivoted by the pin 14 of the rack 15, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4..

15 indicates a segmental rack provided with notches 16, which rack is rigidly attached in a stationary position to the inner portion of one side of the frame 6, near the lower end of the back 3, as best shown in Fig. 1, the notches being upon the lower portion of the rack, as shown.

17 indicates a rod, which is pivoted in the lower portion of the frame 13 and preferably extends horizontally across the frame. The rod 17 is provided with a pawl 18 at one end, which is adaptedto engage the notches 16 upon the rack 15, as best shown in Fig. 5..

19 indicates a lever, which is firmly secured to the rod 17 and extends inward and horizontally from said rod.

20 indicates a spring, which is mounted upon the rod 17 and is provided with a free end 21, which is adapted to engage a portion of the frame 13, as best shown in Fig. 4, to cause the tension of the spring to hold the pawl 18 in engagement with the notches upon the rack 15.

22 indicates a cord, which is connected at its lower end to the outer end of the lever19 and extends upward to the upper part of one side of the back and passes out through a hole 23. The outer end of the cord 22 may be adorned with a tassel 24 to form an ornament for the chair and to hide the end of the cord, as best shown in Fig. 1.

The back 3 of the chair is held in its upright position by means of the engagement of the pawl 18 with the notches at the upper end of the rack 15, as best shown in Fig. 4:. When it is desired to lower the back of the chair by pulling the tassel 24, the back having first been moved slightly forward, the pawl 18 will be disengaged from one of the notches and the back may be turned downward to a horizontal position, when it may be locked in place by releasing the tassel 24. By raising the back the pawl 18 will move over the notches until the back is released and will ilOld the back in the position in which it is cft.

25 indicates an extension-frame, which consists of side pieces 26 and end pieces 27. The side pieces are preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 4, being wider at their rear ends.

28 indicates legs, which are secured to the pieces 27 by hinges 29, as best shown in Fig. 4, so as to adapt them to be turned under the .frame 25. The frame 25 is adapted to be incased in the lower portion of the frame 6, as shown in Fig. 4, when not in use.

30 indicates slides, one of which is secured upon each side piece 26 at its rear end, as shown in Fig. 4. The slides 30 are adapted to move upon inclined guide-bars 31, which are secured at opposite sides of the inner portion of the frame 6. By raising the seat-frame 9 the extension-frame 25 may be lifted out of the bottom of the frame 6 through the top portion thereof and drawn forward to the position shown in Fig. 2, when the legs 28 may be turned downward, as shown. The rear ends of the side pieces 26 will then rest upon the front of the frame 6, as best shown in Fig. 2. An extension of the seat 2 will thus be formed. The upper part of the extension-frame 25 is provided with a cushion 32, which is secured upon it.

33 indicates a foot-board, which consists of a frame 34, preferably made of an iron bar bent to the desired shape. The frame 34 is provided with a suitable covering 35, as best shown in Fig. 4, and is hinged to the outer end of the extension-frame 25. By this construction when the extension-frame is drawn out the foot-board may be thrown outward to the position shown in Fig. 2.

36 indicates a cushion, preferably covered to correspond with the other portions of the chair, which is. secured at its outer end to the front of the chair and is adapted when the extension-frame 25 is drawn out to be thrown over upon that frame to formamattress forit.

In converting the chair into a bed the back is first laid down to a horizontal position, as above described, after which the frame 9 is swung upward on its rear hinge, and the eX tension-frame 25 is then drawn out through the top of the base-frame and placed in position, when the frame 9 is lowered and the cushion 36 is thrown over upon the extensionframe. The bed is then ready for use. By rigidly attaching the segmental rack in a stationary position on the base-frame and providing the rock-shaft or rod, mounted on the chair-back and having a pawl, so that the pawl moves with the back, I materially strenthen the chair and render it more durable, efficient, and satisfactory in operation.

That which I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a hollow baseframe 6, of a segmental rack 15, rigidly secured in a stationary position to the baseframe and provided with a lateral Journal-pm 14, a swinging back-frame 13 and a seatframe 9, both pivoted on the journal-pm of the stationary rack, a pawl 18, carriedby the swinging back-frame, means for releasing the pawl from engagement with the rack, and an extension foot-rest frame arranged in the hollow base-frame and removable through the top portion thereof when the pivoted seatframe is swung upward on its pivotal connection with the rack, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with abase-frame 6, of guides 31, arranged therein and inclined upwardly from the rear lower portion to the front top portion of the same, a seat-frame hinged at one edge to the base-frame and serving to open the top thereof when raised, and an extension foot-rest frame provided with slides 30, which ride up the inclined guides for removing such extension foot-rest frame through the open top of the base-frame when the seat-frame is elevated, substantially as described.

3. In a chair, the combination, with abaseframe and. a back hinged thereto and adapted to be lowered to a horizontal position, of a swinging seat hinged at one edge to the baseframe and serving to open the top thereof when raised, and an extension foot-rest frame inclosed within the base-frame and removable through the open top thereof when the seat is swung upward on its hinged attachment to the base-frame, substantially as described.

4. In a chair, the combination, with a baseframe adapted to support the seat and back of a chair, a segmental rack rigidly secured in a stationary position on the base-frame, back 3, hinged at the back of said frame, pawl 18, secured to said back and adapted to engage the notches of the rack, lever 19, and a cord 22, connected to said lever and extending tothe outside of the chair, of a seat, a frame for supporting said seat, said frame being hinged at its rear end to the frame of the chair to adapt its forward end-to be elevated, bars 3l, arranged at the inside of the frame of the chair, and an extension frame 25, adapted to be removed through the top of the base-frame when the seat-frame is swung upward on its rear hinge, said extension-frame 25 having legs 28, adapted to support its outer end, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, in a chair, of a baseframe having a hinged seat 9, provided with an attached cushion 10, and an extensionframe 25, inclosed within the base-frame and sion frame is withdrawn, substantially as deadapted to be removed through the top thereof scribed. when the seat is swungupward on its hinge,

a cushion 36, flexibly connected at its inner RUDOLF LEHMANN' edge to the outer edgeof the seat-cushion Witnesses: to fold upon the latter and to be extended JOHN L. JACKSON,

over the extension-frame when such exten- ALBERT H. ADAMS. 

